On the other hand there’s some other figures that suggest that we’re a long way from a self-sustaining recovery. For one thing, there is an increase in short-term unemployment – this could just be a blip, or it could be a sign that things are about to get worse again. There’s also been increases in youth unemployment and in involuntary part-time and temporary work.

These figures relate to the early Summer, and they suggest that there were some genuine green shoots at that time. Unfortunately, this was before the cuts began and I doubt if they survived.

Written by Richard Exell

I am the TUC’s Senior Policy Officer covering social security, tax credits and labour market issues, including the debates about the European social model and labour market flexibility. I also represent the TUC on the Industrial Injuries Advisory C…